Just about anyplace in the Front Range will put you close to breweries, lots of home brewers, and homebrew shops.
As was mentioned, Boulder has a very high cost of living. The commuter towns of Longmont and Lafeyette are more affordable but still have a great brewing culture.
Metro Denver is large and certain areas are more affordable than others. No real brewpubs in the Southwest suburbs, where I live but within 20 minutes there is a great selection. Perhaps the world's largest liquor store is 10 mins away from my house.
Going south, Castle Rock has a great brewpub and killer beer store.
Going even more south to Colorado Springs, there are some fantastic breweries and stores. The population is quite a bit more conservative than Boulder
Towards the north end of the Front Range, Fort Collins and Greely are both good choices. Ft. Collins has many outstanding breweries as well as one of the best beer bars in the country. It is a college town. Greely is less expensive and does tend to smell of cattle. A smaller college town but more affordable.
Going into the high country does have it's own challenges and rewards.
Please feel free to PM me for more details. 35 yr resident. Moved here from NJ and wouldn't live anywhere else.